We reached out to several wildlife law experts to find out
whether big-game hunter
Walter Palmer might face criminal charges in the US for
an apparently illegal lion hunt in Zimbabwe.

While one expert believes Palmer could be prosecuted in the
US for the hunt, other experts seemed more skeptical.

"I think it would be hard to point to a law this person
would have violated in the US," Lewis & Clark law professor
Daniel
Rohlf told me in an email message.

Rohlf continued, explaining why it would be difficult to
prosecute Palmer under the
Endangered Species Act (ESA), which criminalizes
the slaughter of imperiled species.

"At this point, African lions are only proposed for
protection under the federal Endangered Species Act," Rohlf said.
"However, even if they were listed, the ESA does not make it
illegal for US citizens to kill lions in Africa — federal law
leaves decisions about managing wildlife within other countries
(even wildlife listed as threatened or endangered under our ESA)
to those countries themselves."

Specifically, the Lacey Act makes it illegal
"to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or
purchase in interstate or foreign commerce
... any fish or wildlife taken, possessed,
transported, or sold in violation of any law orregulation of any State or in violation of any foreign
law."

While the Lacey Act primarily aims to prevent protected
species from
being imported into the US, wildlife expert Eric
Freyfogle told me that Palmer could be prosecuted
regardless of whether the remains of Cecil were imported.

"It is enough, to satisfy the 'purchase' requirement, that
he hire guides, outfitters or other local services or purchase a
hunting license of permit and that this happen in 'interstate
commerce' (meaning simply that he crossed national borders or
communicated across national borders)," Freyfogle said.

That interpretation of the law might be a stretch, though. Other
legal experts say that Palmer would have to bring part of the
lion into the US to get prosecuted under the Lacey Act.

"The Lacey Act provides for both civil and criminal
sanctions for trafficking in illegal wildlife (importing parts of
this lion would constitute trafficking)," Rohlfe said. "However,
as an element of the offense, the hunter would have to bring or
attempt to bring a part of the lion into the US. So if he's
smart, the dentist will show up at US Customs with nothing but
apologies."